Penstemon plant named &#39;penhared&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Penstemon  plant, particularly distinguished by its red colored flower with white throat, early flowering, and good branching habit.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Penstemon hartwegii

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

‘Penhared’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new distinct cultivar of Penstemon,botanically known as Penstemon hartwegii.

The new Penstemon is a product of a planned breeding program conductedin Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new Penstemon cultivar has a wellbranched plant habit, has a red flower with white throat, and is earlyflowering.

The new Penstemon is propagated by cuttings resulting from a singleseedling. This seedling originates from a selection in Penstemonhartwegii ‘Picotee’ (not patented). This selection was made through onecycle of half sib selection in the period June 2002 until July 2003 inEnkhuizen, Netherlands. The seedling was selected in July 2003 inEnkhuizen, Netherlands.

The present cultivar has been repeatedly asexually reproduced bycuttings in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, since 2003. The distinctivecharacteristics of this new Penstemon are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

The new Penstemon plant is a perennial in zones 4 to 9 in the US.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The new Penstemon plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographicdrawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plant in full color,the color showing being as true as can be reasonably obtained byconventional photographic procedures.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of this new Penstemon. The data which defines thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inEnkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 15 week oldplants. The instant plant was grown in an 11 cm container in an outdoorcontainer field.

Color references are primarily to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society of London.

Plants of the new Penstemon differ primarily from the plants of theoriginator ‘Picotee’ in the following characteristics:

Plants of the new Penstemon start flowering earlier and are morebranched than plants of the originator ‘Picotee.’

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW CULTIVAR ‘PENHARED’ AND A SIMILARCULTIVAR ‘Penhared’ ‘Rubycunda’ (Not patented) Earliness Early LatePubescence of throat Long hairs Short hairs Branching Very good Medium

-   The plant:    -   -   Classification — botanical.—Penstemon hartwegii.-   Parentage:    -   -   Originator selection.—‘Picotee’ (Not patented).-   Propagation:    -   -   Type of cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—12-16 days at 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—3 weeks.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous and white in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Compact basal rosette.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.        -   Size.—48 cm tall and 26 cm wide.        -   Habit.—Suffrutescent.-   The foliage:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Margins.—Entire, undulate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Sessile, obtuse.        -   Length.—9.1 cm.        -   Width.—2.9 cm.        -   Vestiture.—Glabrous.        -   Texture.—Leathery.        -   Leaf color.—Upper surface: 137A Lower surface: 143B.-   The inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Thryse and virgate.        -   Number of flowers.—6-43 per cyme.        -   Peduncle.—Height: 43 cm Diameter: 3 mm Color: 144B Texture:            Glabrous.        -   Pedicel.—Length: 1-1.5 cm Diameter: 1-2 mm Texture: Glabrous            Color: 146C.        -   Flowering period.—From June until August.        -   Flower bud.—Length: 3.7 cm Width: 3.8 cm Position: Closed            tubular Color: 45C, center N155A.        -   Flower type.—Zygomorphic.        -   Flower shape.—Tubular, bilabiate.        -   Flower tube.—Length: 0.5 cm Width: 0.2 cm.        -   Number of flower lobes.—Five, 2 upper lobes, three lower            lobes.        -   Flower size.—Length: 3.7 cm Width: 3.8 cm.        -   Flower color.—45C, center N155A.        -   Calyx.—Number of lobes: 5 overlapping lobes Length: 0.7 cm            Width: 0.5 cm Color: 137A.        -   Calyx lobes.—Apex: Acuminate Margin: Entire.        -   Lastingness.—On the plant: Each cyme blooms for about 4            weeks on the plant In the vase: 3 days.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamen.—Number: 5 Shape: Dehiscent.        -   Anther color.—158A.        -   Pollen color.—158D.        -   Pistil length.—2.7 cm.        -   Pistil color.—64B.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Filament length.—2.5 cm.        -   Filament color.—155B.-   Seed development: Seed development has not been observed to date.-   Disease tolerance: No disease/pest resistance has been observed to    date.-   Weather resistance: The new Penstemon plant is resistant to    temperatures ranging from −6° C. to +40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant named ‘Penhared,’ assubstantially illustrated and described herein.